The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival

Hi Everyone,

I’m finally writing to say hello. I’ve been wisely letting my wonderful co-producer Eric Homan do all the blogposting work. Well, actually, my real excuse for not posting is way too much travel. I just got back from Cannes, France and the MIPTV television market. In addition to my own meetings and such, I squeezed in a little run around the show floor to look for potential entries to the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. Gosh! There’s a ton of interesting made-for-television shorts from other parts of the world.

Broadcasters from both Europe and Asia are much more open than broadcasters in the States (although this is changing!), to running short animated series for all ages. A typical shorts series will be between 1 and 3 minutes in length with a total of 12-52 episodes.

Here’s a cool one I picked up from the Czech Television booth. Directed by Jiri Miska, its a 14×8 series called “Oshtrozock.”

This is the description from the flyer I picked up:

The series tells the story of a famous writer and animal lover Mr. Lorence, whose household is increased by a most fantastic creature one day. Till then Mr. Lorence’s family had consisted of his housekeeper Mathylda, his bodyguard Frigo the dog, Liza the cat and Mairanna the mastiff. Suddenly this Oshtorzock Sharpalicus turns up—it was born as an idea in Mr. Lorence’s mind. But the idea got stuck in his head and oh dear, how it plagued him until the witch brought it out! Oshtorzock looks like many creatures jumbled together, alike none other. It has the magic power to help animals and people live together with affection and kindsness.

All I can say is I hope they enter!

Rita Street